Alternative Eco-Friendly Methods in the Control of Post-Harvest Decay of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits

The effectiveness on several fruits by the application of alternative methods against fungi is summarized in the present chapter. Several investigations have reported the efficacy of these technologies for controlling fungal infections. Currently, high post-harvest loses have been reported due to several factors such as inefficient management, lack of training for farmers, and problems with appropriate conditions for storage of fruits and vegetables. Even now, in many countries, post-harvest disease control is led by the application of chemical fungicides. However, in this time, awareness about fungi resistance, environmental, and health issues has led to the research of eco-friendly and effective alternatives for disease management. The pathogen establishment on fruits can be affected by the application of GRAS compounds like chitosan, essential oils, salts, among others; besides, their efficacy can be enhanced by their combination with other technologies like ultrasound. Thus, the applications of these alternatives are suitable approaches for post-harvest management of fruits

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Bioaccesibilidad y cinética de liberación in vitro de compuestos fenólicos en pulpas de guayaba (Psidium guajava L.) y guanábana (Annona muricata L.)

Tropical fruits are known as healthy, guava and soursop, are considered as a source of phenolic compounds (PC), and are generally consumed fresh or in pulp. The beneficial effect attributed to fruit consumption is related not only to the amount, but rather to how much of these PC can be bioaccesible in the organism. Hence the aim of this study was to evaluate the bioaccesibility of PC of the guava and soursop pulp. During in vitro digestion process was observed that the highest release occurred during intestinal stage, which could be due to the partial release of PC associated with the cell wall material of the pulps. PC bioaccessibility values were 79.93% for guava and 83.91% for soursop, gallic and chlorogenic acids were mainly detected in both samples, although caffeic acid was detected only in soursop pulp. On the other hand, the release kinetics of PC from guava and soursop pulp shows a similar release rate in both, indicating that a large part of the PC present in these pulps are potentially bioaccessible and can be available to be absorbed by the small intestine. Las frutas tropicales son conocidas como saludables, la guayaba y guanábana, se consideran ricos en compuestos fenólicos (CF), y generalmente se consumen frescos o en pulpa. El efecto beneficioso atribuido al consumo de frutas se relaciona con la cantidad de CF que pueden ser bioaccesibles en el organismo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la bioaccesibilidad de los CF de las pulpas de guayaba y guanábana. Durante el proceso de digestión in vitro, se observó que la liberación más alta se produjo durante la etapa intestinal, esto podría deberse a la liberación parcial de los CF asociada con el material de la pared celular de las pulpas. Los valores de bioaccesibilidad de los CF fueron 79.93% para guayaba y 83.91% para guanábana, los ácidos gálico y clorogénico fueron detectados como los principales CF presentes en ambas muestras, aunque el ácido cafeico fue detectado solo en la pulpa de guanábana, por su parte, la cinética de liberación de los CF en las pulpas mostraron una tasa de liberación similar en ambas muestras, lo que indica que una gran parte de los CF presentes en estas pulpas son potencialmente bioaccesibles y pueden estar disponibles para absorberse en el intestino delgado

Utilización de subproductos agroindustriales para la bioadsorción de metales pesados

Heavy metal pollution is a problem that affects aquatic and terrestrial environments, where the main source is anthropic activities. To attend this problem, the scientific community has developed physical-chemical methods for the removal of heavy metals in contaminated effluents: however, they are not economically favorable as they have high operating and maintenance costs, and some generate waste that is difficult to handle. However, there is a low-cost, highly efficient method without the formation of secondary contaminants, called bioadsorption. Bioadsorption uses agro-industrial by-products with the objective to use the excessive generation of these waste as bioadsorbents for the removal of heavy metals in wastewater. The use of agro-industrial by-products as bioadsorbents has proven to be an alternative for their use, consequently, Mexico has potential in the production of bioadsorbents. The objective of this review is to provide systematized information on the method of removing heavy metals by bioadsorption through the use of agro-industrial by-products.La contaminación por metales pesados es un problema que afecta a los ambientes acuáticos y terrestres, y cuya principal fuente son las actividades antrópicas. Para atender este problema, la comunidad científica ha desarrollado métodos físico-químicos para la remoción de metales pesados en efluentes contaminados: sin embargo, la mayoría no son económicamente favorables, ya que presentan elevados costos de operación y mantenimiento, además de que algunos generan residuos difíciles de manejar. Sin embargo, existe un método de bajo costo, altamente eficiente y sin formación de contaminantes secundarios, denominado bioadsorción. La bioadsorción utiliza subproductos agroindustriales con el objetivo de utilizar la excesiva generación de estos residuos como bioadsorbentes, para la remoción de metales pesados en aguas residuales. La utilización de subproductos agroindustriales como bioadsorbentes ha mostrado ser una alternativa para su aprovechamiento, consecuentemente, México tiene potencial en la producción de bioadsorbentes. El objetivo de esta revisión es proporcionar información sistematizada del método de remoción de metales pesados por bioadsorción a través del uso de subproductos agroindustriales

In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion and Colonic Fermentation of High Dietary Fiber and Antioxidant-Rich Mango (Mangifera indica L.) "Ataulfo"-Based Fruit Bars

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a tropical fruit which is considered to be a source of dietary fiber (DF) and phenolic compounds (PCs). In this study, high DF mango-based fruit bars were developed from whole mango (peel and pulp). The bars were evaluated for their nutritional composition, the bioaccesibility of PCs during gastrointestinal digestion, and the PCs metabolites profile after in vitro colonic fermentation. The amount of DF in a 30 g portion of mango bars was 9.5 g, i.e., 35% of the recommended daily intake. Phenolic acids such as gallic acid; cinnamic acids, such as ferulic, coumaric, and caffeic acids; flavonoids such as quercertin; and xanthones such as mangiferin and mangiferin gallate, were identified as the main PCs in the bars. The antioxidant capacity associated with the PCs profile, together with the high DF content are indicative of the potential functional features of these natural fruit bars. The bioaccesibility of PCs in the mango bar was 53.78%. During fermentation, the PCs were bioconverted mainly to hydroxyphenolic acids and the main short-chain fatty acid produced was acetic acid. The xanthone norathyriol was identified after 12 h of fermentation. This study on the digestion and colonic fermentation of mango-based bars using in vitro models provides hints of the potential physiological behavior of PCs associated with DF, which constitutes relevant information for further development of natural and health-promoting fruit-based bars